Rotary explosive-engine.



PATENTED FEB. 4, 1908.

.J- D. LONG. ROTARY EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

' ,INVENTOR,

APPLICATION FILED MAY 16,1907..

, WITNESSES:

A TTORNE Y.

JOHN D. LONG, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

ROTARY nXrLosrvs-nireriin.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 4, 1808.

Application filed May 161907fl Serial No- 374;.Q36.

' T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN D. Lone, a citi- 'zen oi the United States, residin Francisco, in the county of San rancisco at Sen and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rotary EXplo-' siveJEngines, of which the following is a specificction. g

The object of the present invention is to provide a. rotary explosive engine which will e of high eiliciency in proportion to its size,

and in which the parts shall be so arranged as to prevent leakage oi the gases resulting from explosion. I

1n the accompanying drawing, Fi ure lie a longitudinal section of the engine; ig. 2 is a transverse section through the cylinder; Fig. 3 is a side view of the connection with the compressor; Fig. 4 is e broken interned view of the loop of said connection; Fig. 5 is an enlarged side view partly in section of one of the packing rings; Fig. 6 is a corresponding section of the end thereof; Fig. 7 is a side view of the split ring.

. .l ltei'erring to the drawing, 1 indicates a casing having a hub 2, through which passes the shaft 3 ot the engine.

Upon said shaft is secured a. ring {i having a. grooved periphery, and having in said groove 5 o bridge 6. Surrounding said ring is e loop 7 from the opposing feces of the inner side of which extend inwards two lugs 8, said lugs traveling in said grooves, so that they are adapted in turn to be actuated by said bridge, and thereby inipcrt to said loop a reciprocating motion from the rotary motion of the shaft. Said loop is connected to s piston rod 9 which passes inn, compression cylinder 10 endcerries e piston 11 reciprocating in said. cylinder.

Carbureted vapor is supplied to both ends of said compression cylinder 10 bye feed pipe 12 having branches 13 entering the ooposite ends of said chamber and controlled by spring-actuated valves 14. Also arranged in opposite ends of said. compressor cylinder are outlet o enings 15 controlled by spring actuated ve yes 16 and leading to e common supply conduit 17. Hence, said compressor is double-eating, that is, at each half of the reci rocetion of the piston, the explosive flui is compressed in said chamber, endis expelled by an outlet 15'to ,the'supply ne duit 17,1while at the scene ti the cerhuifet ed vapor is being drawn into the other endot the cylinder to be in its turn compressed and expelled upon the return movement of the piston.

The compressed gases are conducted by the conduit 17 to sn'explosion' chamber 18 controlled by a valve 19. Said explosion chamber is providedwith s sparking device 39 of any common construction. Theexplosion cheniber connects with the Working chamber 20 .of the casing l by means. ot a, j

passage .21. In said working chamber 20, ro, tstesepiston 22 heving it Web 23 and annuler segmental piston heads 24. Each head is formed with a sloping front or advancing face 25 and e square or radial reer farce-26. Each advancing face 25 in turn .esses' under the lower edge of e gate 27, Wliich slides in e casing 28 and is normally depressed by.

springs 29 around rods 30 secured to. said gets. in so passing under said gate it raises the gate, which, under the ection of the springs 29, immediately falls when the rear face of the piston has passed thereunder.

The explosion is arranged to teke plecein the explosion chamber when the pertssrle in the position shown in Fig. 2, in Whichposh tion it is seen that the passage 2 1 to the working chamber 20 of the c rlinder is clQSed by the rear end of the piston esd. The said passage is immediately thereafter opened, and the compressed. gases resulting from the explosion then press upon the rear face of the piston und'force it onwards.

In order to prevent leakage of the'pressure iluid, I provide peel-ring rings 81 whichere received within recesses 32 111 the casing of the cylinderf The inner surfece of eech ring is slightly beveled, or slopes inwerd endforwerds, so as toprevent said inner surface catching against and impeding the piSfiQIl. In the ends of the ring erc'sliding pieces 33, which are normally pressed outwards by springs 34-, end said sliding pieces beer against the sides of the web of the piston edjecent to the ennuler heed thereof. Also it split ring-36, which prevents leakage (lithe pressure fluid inwards from the Working chamber of the cylinder.

The operation of the engine will beieidily Q3 srsu ia understood from the foregoing description. As the rear end. of each pistonv pass 1 the opening from the explosion chamber into the Working chamber of the cylinder, the gases, which have been exploded in said owing chamber, escape therefrom into said orking chamber and propel the piston onwards, thus rotating the shaft 3 and compressing the gases in the compressor chamber, and then iorcing them into the explosion chamber.

An important feature of this invention is the construction of the piston, in' that it is formed of a web and segmental annular heads of substantially circular cross section. This ei'iables the piston to be ell'ecliivcly packed against the leakage of the pressure fluid, a result which very dii'licult to attain with rotary explosive engines.

It will also be seen that since the appara tus for compressing the carburetcd gases is so constructed that two explosions are ob tained in each rotation of the engine shaft,

- it results that for a given size of engine there is obtained substantially twice the amount oi power which would otherwise be obtained.

The a par atus for cooling and for timing of the spar are omitted as they maybe of any ordinary form or construction, and form no part of the present invention.

I claim l l. The combination of a shaft, a rotary :piston secured thereto having a web and an annular segmental head, of substznitially circular cross section, a casing having an annular Working chamber in which said pls- ,ton rotates, and an explosion chamber connected with said working chan'ibcr, a springactuated gate adapted to close the working chamber of the cylinder behind the piston, the piston bein formed with a sloping lroiit face to lift said gate, packing rings around the piston, the casing having recesses for said rings, the ends of said rings haying sliding pieces adapted to abut against the sides of the piston, and springs for pressing said sliding .ieces thereagainst, substantially as described.

2 The combination of a shaft, a rotary piston, secured thereto having a web aiid'an annular segmental head, oi? substantially circular was section, a casing having an annular ,Worlring chamber in u'hichsaid piston rotates, and an explosion chamber connected. With said Working chamber, a spring-sate ated gate ada ted to close the Working chamber of cylin er behind. the piston, the piston being formed with a sloping front face to lift said gate, packing rings around the piston having forwardly and inwardly sloping inner surfaces, substantially as described,

3. The combination of a shaft, a rotary piston secured thereto having a web and an annular segmental head of substantially circular cross section, a casing having an annul l l l l lar working chamber in which said piston rotates and explosion chamber connected with said working chamber, a spring actuated gate adapted to close the working chamber com prcssion chamber, a piston reciprocating therein, a Mayo-controlled feed pipe 1 g iding to said chamber, a valve-controlled s pply conduit leading from said chamber to the c lindcr, and means for reciprocating said latter piston from the rotary nioveinent'of the shaft, substantially as described.

4. The combination of a shaft, a rotary piston secured thereto, a casing having an annular working chamber in which said pis ton rotates, and an explosion chamber connected with said working chamber, a spring actuated gate adapted to close the Working chamber of the cylinder behind the piston,

the piston being formed with a sloping front lace to hit said gate, a compression chamber, a piston reciprocating therein, a valve-controlled feed pipe leading to said chamber, a

valve-controlled supply conduit leading from said chamber to the cylinder, and means for reciprocating said latter iiston from the rotary movement of the shaft, said means comprising a circular device upon the shaft and a loop around said device and connected to said piston, said loop and device having parts adapted to engage each other and impart reciprocating motion to the loop from the rotary motion of the shaft, substantially as described.

5. The (.OlllbiilritlOll of a shaft, a rotary piston secured thereto, a casing having an annular Working chamber in which said piston rotates, and an explosion chamber con nected With said working chamber, a spring-- actuated. gate adapted to close the Working chamber of the'cylinder behind the piston, the piston being formed with a sloping front face to lift said gate, a compression chamber, a piston reciprocating therein, a valve-non trolled feed ipe leading to said chamber,-a

vavle-contro led supply. conduit leading from said chamber to the cylinder, and. means for reciprocating said latter piston from the rotary niiovcinent or the s ial't, said means comprismg a grooved circular device upon the shaft, having a bridge in. said groove and a loop connected to the iston, said loop having inwardly extending ugs entering said V groove and adapted to be enga bridge, substantially as described.

(3. The combination of a shalt, a-rotary piston secured thereto havin a Web and an annular segmental head'oi substantially cirg'ed by said cular cross section, a casing having an annu- Iny hand in the presence of tw vo subscribing .of the cylinder behind the piston, the piston Witnesses.

' JOHN D. LONG. 

